Island of a Million Palm Trees

Bahrain was once a tropical paradise, known as the island of a million palm trees. But in a few decades the face of the land changed dramatically and the iconic date palm groves have almost completely disappeared due to the rapid urbanisation and the development of artificial islands. The project took place on the Nurana island, a man-made island on the northern coast of Bahrain, constructed in 2010 and imagined to become part of a new city with luxury apartments, villas, hotels, commercial spaces and waterfront promenades. After the completion of the island all further construction projects were halted, leaving the island empty. This vast open space is now temporary reclaimed by people from the neighbouring communities and used as a ‘park’ for walking, horse riding, jogging, swimming and car racing. As a result of the racing, the sides of the only asphalted road in the middle of the island are covered in huge amounts of rubber debris. The black palm tree is made from this material and installed in the middle of the island as a monument in commemoration of the many palm trees that have disappeared from Bahrain.